Remembering those lost
Many came out to support vigil for those killed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
There are 1,872 kilometres between Charlottetown and Pittsburgh, Pa., but there is no limit in how far the impact of tragedy can reach.
About 100 people gathered in front of Founder’s Hall in Charlottetown on Sunday where the P.E.I. Jewish Community held a vigil in honour of the victims of the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Eleven people lost their lives and six were injured when they were gunned down at their synagogue on Oct. 27. It was the deadliest attack on Jews in United States history.
“They were husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, grandparents, great grandparents and friends,” said P.E.I. Jewish Community president Leo Mednick, who organized the event.
Mednick led the vigil by naming each of the victims who died and telling a little bit of their life story. Those killed were Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Melvin Wax, Daniel Stein, Irving Younger, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Cecil Rosenthal and David Rosenthal.
During his speech, he said most Jewish church services last about three hours so those who were gunned down were there early and very dedicated to their religion.
“These people who came early, these are the people the shooter gunned down… those who are dedicated to their community and to their congregation,” he said.
Sol Feldstein was one of many in attendance at the vigil.
Frustration was the main emotion Feldstein said he felt the day of the shooting in Pittsburgh.
“I almost felt like somehow I should be there,” said Feldstein, who is Jewish.
He said he wanted to be with other Jewish people when the tragedy happened, so he was happy when he heard there would be a vigil in Charlottetown.
“Somehow you feel like you want to be together with other people,” he said.
Anne McLean, a Messianic Jew, also went to the vigil.
“This is dear to our hearts to honour the memory of those who aren’t from the same sect as we are but they’re still family,” she said.
As a Jewish person, Mednick said news of the massacre instantly made him feel uneasy.
“I think it makes everybody feel a bit insecure,” he said. “P.E.I. is a pretty peaceful location and incidents of racism and anti-Semitism are few and far between but they’re not nonexistent.” He said the vigil also stands as a reminder that anti-Semitism and racism cannot be tolerated.
“It’s to show to people that are racist that they’re going to be opposed,” he said.